Edmonton man charged with list of sexual offences against minors

Children as young as nine were sexually assaulted by an Edmonton man, authorities in Alberta believe.

Aarron Kowalchuk, 34, was arrested on June 20 at an Edmonton home.

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) found "child sexual exploitation materials" and "incriminating online chat logs" on Kowalchuk's phone and computer devices.

The findings suggest Kowalchuk was sending sexually explicit materials to and trying to meet the minors, ALERT said.

Investigators have identified one 15-year-old victim but believe, from the evidence on the phone, there are two others.

"The indication from the examination of the device is that there may be two children we have yet to identify who have had communication, and in the worst case scenario, have met with him," explained Sgt. Kerry Shima, the acting unit commander of ALERT's Northern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

The unidentified victims are believed to be nine and 13 years old.

Shima said the 13-year-old's parents may have had a clue about the danger their child was in.

"We believe those parents may have been involved in stopping this interaction with our offender. There's information available to us through the forensic examination that Mr. Kowalchuk ended that relationship or the victim ended that relationship as a result of the parents becoming involved or becoming aware.

"The veracity of that is still unknown, but it seems logical to us there may be parents out there who don't know the extent of their child may have been involved in and as such, may not have reported it to the police. We don't have a report from a parent of a 13-year-old who had interacted with our accused."

Kowalchuk first used TikTok and then other platforms, according to ALERT.

Anyone with information about these cases or any child exploitation situation is asked to contact their local police or cybertip.ca.

Kowalchuk is being kept in police custody and is due to appear in court on July 14.

He is charged with:

• child luring;
• arrangement of a sexual offence against a child;
• making sexually explicit material available to a child;
• making child pornography;
• possession of child pornography;
• distribution of child pornography; and
• possession of a prohibited device, related to a conducted energy weapon that was found in his backpack when he was arrested.

ALERT received a tip about Kowalcuk through the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC).

"For the children out there or the teens who are finding themselves in a precarious situation online… kids need to understand that's not your fault," Shima said. "We are here to help, we want to help, and we can help."

He also reiterated the need for families to be more aware of their child's internet use and for all adults to create a safe space for children to seek help if needed.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson